The following is an interview we conducted with Anne McGurty, a Paper Tiger Expert of Strategize and Organize, as she talks about how she along with Paper Tiger Filing System Software has helped her clients get organized. Anne implements Paper Tiger in her “Miracle in a Day” to transform her client’s offices.
In this interview, Anne tells us the ways Paper Tiger helps people to delegate, and it helps them to have more time and energy to work on their business or get out of the office earlier and do other things that they enjoy other than paper work.
Hi I’m Janet Baker, office manager of The Monticello Corporation, makers of Paper Tiger Filing System Software. We have with us today, Anne McGurty speaker, productivity expert, and author. Anne is the president and CEO of Strategize and Organize, a Denver-based training and consulting firm specializing in helping people perfect their environments and make better use of their resources – time, paper, and all forms of information management. As a productivity expert, Anne provides extensive customized services including business consulting, productivity training, process implementation, and time management seminars. She works with small business owners, large corporations, staff, and individual executives on their personal productivity. Anne is a member of the Colorado Chapter of National Speakers Association and is a past president of the Colorado Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers. In recognition of her expertise, Anne was nominated for small businessperson of the year 2004 by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce. Strategize and Organize is a certified Women’s Business Enterprise Company through WBENC.
We also have with us today, assisting with this interview, Captain Terry Clark of SailwithTerry.com. Capt. Terry sails the Mañana Maybe and provides custom sailing vacations in the British Virgin Islands. He partnered with The Monticello Corporation in one of our contests for a free sailing vacation. We welcome both of you on behalf of the Paper Tiger team.
Terry: Thank you Janet, How are you today Anne?
Anne: Hey, I am great Captain, How are you?
Terry: I am doing great. Well, we are going to got through a few questions here and if you are ready to start, I’ll start asking the questions.
Anne: Thanks for the lovely introduction, Janet
Terry: Yeah that’s a hard act to follow, Anne. Well, we are going to talk about Paper Tiger now and some of its capabilities. Anne, what is your favorite thing in your use of Paper Tiger and what it fixes?
Anne: Wow, that’s a really tough question to answer because it fixes so much. I’ve got to say my favorite thing about Paper Tiger was initially when I discovered it. I have been using the Paper Tiger since 2002. I will just give some quick background; I had been in corporate America for 20 years and being a busy executive, I always relied on administrative staff to help me. But as times changed over the 80’s and 90’s, we had less and less staff and today it’s getting to be where everyone is handling two or three jobs and they have to find all their information for themselves. So when I discovered the Paper Tiger I was finally able to be an individual who can find everything on their own and the opportunity to delegate my paper work to others.
The fact is, when you have Paper Tiger, you can create a file with the name you are thinking of today. Let’s use the example, I have a medical bill that I have just received, I have paid it; I want to keep the physical piece of paper. So I file it; I don’t know where I file it. Do I file it under medical? Do I file it under taxes 2010, or, do I file it under insurance?
Well…with the Paper Tiger, it doesn’t matter because I can set up a file name and add medical, insurance, personal and health, all as keywords. So six months from now when I go to look for it, all I have to do is hit one of those keywords and it will direct me to which file it is in. So I would say the favorite thing of the Paper Tiger, is the freedom of changing my mind when I am looking for a file and being able to find it no matter where my head is at and what words I am thinking.
Terry: OK wonderful, what are the problems that a majority of clients have to solve when they use Paper Tiger.
Anne: You know the problems that I hear from clients are: I am out of control, my office is a mess, I am really embarrassed when people show up, nobody can find anything.
So what I do is I work with them by looking at all those papers that are on their desk and figure out a system for them so that they can find them. The best way to do that is to prompt them to figure out the keywords of each piece of paper.
I have to sit with them side by side to ask them these questions, because I don’t necessarily know what is going through their mind when looking at a piece of paper.
A lot of times people have piles on their desk because they are thinking that some day maybe I will need this and I have to have it quickly at hand. So it really is a fear that they are not going to be able to find it if they put it in a file, but with the Paper Tiger, they do not have to have that fear anymore because we will have lots of keywords tagged to that file for them to find it.
Terry: OK, Do you find that Paper Tiger is used mainly by administrators or managers. Or do you find that it is a mix of the two?
Anne: You know, that’s a good question because people are saying: “Well I’ve got staff, I’ll just hire somebody to come and organize me. But the reality is, it is a little bit of everybody. I find that entrepreneurs often will need it because they are so busy with their work that they never thought about a filing system, and the Paper Tiger answers that problem for them.
I find that administrative assistants who file for their boss and their boss is constantly referring to the file by a different name, they really benefit from it.
For example, I have a secretary, administrative assistant, she still goes by the name of a secretary, and she has been working for the same man for 30 years and he doesn’t like computers. So he always has piles and piles of papers on his desk, and once a month, she gets completely overwhelmed and has to go into his office when he is out of town for the day and we go in there and pull all the paper off his desk and input them into the Paper Tiger system.
At the end of our day, we print out a list in alphabetical order for him, so he can refer to his files. That way she can control all his piles; he doesn’t feel like he can’t find his files anymore and everyone is happy. That’s where a team could work.
Individual professionals who do not have an administrative support like myself finally have the opportunity to manage their paper by using the Paper Tiger.
Many people who are creative, project managers or in the client services position. They might use the Paper Tiger because they are so busy working on their jobs that they do not understand that they do not have the time or energy to file and the Paper Tiger allows them to have a simple system to manage all their paper.
Terry: OK. Thank you. How do you go about implementing Paper Tiger in your client’s offices most effectively? And when you are doing that how long does it usually take to implement Paper Tiger.
Anne: That’s a good question. The time factor is really always a big surprise to people. I will give you an example. Let’s start with looking at what the client has; they may have piles and piles of paper and say I do not know where to start, and they ask, ‘how long is this going to take?’ And usually for a really disorganized office with piles and piles of paper, I can go in with them, and in a day its accomplished.
Now I am saying myself a lot, but people can do this individually, as well. It just might take them a little bit more time, because people, when they are working by themselves, get a little bit distracted and working with a productivity expert allows them to be focused and encouraged to make decisions on the spot.
So when I have that commitment to work with somebody, I will work with them side-by-side and having them focused on each piece of paper and making a decision of what they are thinking of; those keywords to put it into the system. Also we are looking for other issues that may be affecting their productivity, because sometimes there may be other issues other than filling that may be affecting their productivity. I like to listen for that.
Back to the time, I often tell people, let’s just go in for a day and I have what we call a “Miracle in a Day”, and I will help them get organized in that eight hours.
What that means is that, we will spend the day getting all the paper off their desk and attack what is on the floor and enter it into the Paper Tiger system. At the end of the day, they will have a basic system in the Paper Tiger setup so they can continue with all the back log and enter it into the system on their own. Sometimes people are really too busy because they are very successful people and are just going, going, going, and they are not able to maintain the system. That is a critical part where they need to invest the time to maintain their filing system.
I use the example you wouldn’t go out to Saks Fifth Avenue and buy a beautiful suit and never maintain it. You do not come home from work and crumble it on the floor. You take a couple of minutes at the end of the day and hang it up. And every month or so, depending on how much you wear that suit, you are going to have to take it to the dry cleaners and get it cleaned. Same kind of thought pattern with your filling, you maintain a little bit each day, and depending on how much usage you have, you’re going to need a good clean out and get everything taken care of so that is the investment.
Terry: All right Anne. So what do your clients have to say when you have helped them get their office organized versus what they would have been able to do without your help?
Anne: You know, gosh, I am almost embarrassed to say and I get humbled every time I work with a client, because 95% of the time people will come back and say, “Anne, you absolutely changed my life.” And I know it’s the software, it’s the system that just really changes the way people work in a way they never thought about.
This software helps significantly with helping people make decisions that they never knew how to make decisions before. With the Paper Tiger, they are prompted to go forward with their filing, make decisions and have a system to follow up. I also know with clients, I feel that they can teach other people how to work with them so they do not feel like they are the only ones who have to do all the filing.
It helps them to delegate, and it helps them to have more time and energy to work on their business or get out of the office earlier and do other things that they enjoy other than paper work.
Janet: Anne and Terry, we appreciate your time today and believe this will be very helpful to our Paper Tiger users. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate you being with us today.
Anne: You’re welcome Janet. Thank you so much, it’s been great to be part of the Paper Tiger Team.
About Anne McGurty
Anne McGurty is CEO of Strategize & Organize, a company devoted to training individual’s to be more effective with the tools and resources to be productive in their work environment.
If you like this issue, you’ll love Anne’s transforming productivity training and organizing products to help you organize your business — and yourself — ranging from productivity consulting for individuals and executives to small business coaching programs to keynote speaking and corporate training programs to improve efficiencies in the workplace and improve productivity.
While Anne is best known for her expertise in productivity and expert office organizing, her clients share that her biggest impact comes from her philosophy of “personalizing her programs to fit the needs of her clients so they can streamline more efficiently with existing processes” – ensuring to create a sustainable work environment. This, Anne says, is the most important key to bringing an individual to personal freedom with time and organization.
You can learn more about Anne at www.StrategizeAndOrganize.com.
You can contact Anne at amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com or by phone at 303 881-0174.
You can also follow Anne on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/strategizeandorganize
Technology has come a long way in such a short time, revolutionizing how modern day businesses are run. Local businesses have become global players through the Internet, communication has become instantaneous thanks to email, and companies have become more efficient and competitive with the help of various Information systems.
One of the few things that technology had not been able to unanimously streamline and do away with has been document management. The word “Document” is merely an alternative way of referring to predisposed and definite paper, which contains vital information and records on a specific subject. A tax form or document is paper with information regarding……..? You guessed it “taxes”. A contract is that important legal document buried somewhere between all your other documents with information that the CEO needed yesterday.
Anyone who has a home, a family, or works in an office can attest, that paper is ubiquitous. While buried under piles of memos, reports, to-do lists, books, receipts, shopping lists, mail, order forms, school reports or staff manuals, paper’s services seem indispensable yet the paper or documents themselves seem to be a greater burden. Quite frankly, both impressions seem to be universally true.
Whether you call it document management, paper management, or filing, it all boils down to the same thing; keeping track of your documents and being able to efficiently find what you need when you need it. The solution might be a “do it all” document management system that is efficient, easy, and all muscle with none of the fluff and pretty trinkets, which not only helps you keep track of your documents but also trains your mind to be more organized and conscious of your filing and paper guardianship.
A system that incorporates great technology with simple and proven techniques that will help turn your company into a lean, mean efficiency machine, for a fraction of the price that some companies invest in document management. A tool that will transform you into the office fairy or wizard with a magic wand, for with a few strikes of the keyboard you have the exact location of all documents at your finger tips with important descriptions, categories, reminders on important dates, and multi-user capabilities that allows the information to be shared and easily accessed across your organization. A document management system that Bob can use, Susan loves and Granddaddy Earl says is simple.
Be the first to introduce the idea of efficient document management to your company, and win all the accolades from the bosses and the accountant. It will save the company lots of money by saving many lost man-hours, not to mention all the paper that gets used when printing and re-printing documents across the company. So the next time you hear that colleague ask, “Where’s the monthly report?” or your spouse ask, “Honey, where is last year’s tax return?”, tell them to ask the Paper Tiger Filing System Software.
Paper Tiger Filing System and Document Management software is a very powerful but simple indexing system that will totally revolutionize the relationship you have with your filing cabinet, your office, home, or storage location. It is a great, easy to use software that helps you find what you need, FAST! Paper Tiger is like a Google search engine for your physical items, whether it be for your paper files, your books, CD & DVD collections, storage, etc. You would simply input the information into the database relating to your physical items, i.e., Item Name, Keywords, Notes.
It does not involve scanning, which can be very time-consuming! Paper Tiger is great for documents that you have to keep in their original paper form, and eliminates the time you waste looking for important information! Experts estimate that over 150 hours per year per person are wasted just looking for lost information.
For paper filing, you would first set up all hanging file folders in your file cabinets at one time using the numbered tabs that you print out from the software and they never change.
Because the hanging file folders are already set up and waiting for your information, you eliminate the time-consuming hassle of having to find and create a file folder each time you want to file something.
When you’ve converted your files to Paper Tiger, and you need to find a file, you simply conduct a google-like search in the database to find where your file is located. You don’t have to try and remember what name you filed something under because you’ve done the work up-front by inputting the keywords relating to the file in the database.
Welcome to a new level of organization and efficiency!
It doesn’t matter what religion you are, there is a lot more to churches, synagogues and mosques than just prayer meetings and bible classes. Records must be kept of all activities that involve the church and its members. Church committees are accountable for everything that happens within their responsibilities. That’s why even churches need a modern filing system, like Paper Tiger Filing System Software and Document Management.
Ministers need to spend as much time as possible tending to the needs of their parishioners. But they also have to ensure that their record keeping is accurate and up-to-date as well. There are often many different people involved in the running of any place of worship, and the successful functioning vitally depends on a modern and comprehensive church database management system.
There are so many different factors that have to be accounted for that it’s imperative an efficient filing system is implemented to reduce the time spent on administrative tasks.
The types of records that must be kept so that they can easily be found when needed include: pre-prepared sermons and speeches, books and research material for future sermons, topical sermon outlines, current lists of parishioners, marriages, weddings, certificates of births, christenings, baptisms, deaths, and funerals.
Files for financial records relating to all income, donations, expenditure, wages, budgets, fund-raising campaigns, committee meetings, minutes taken of such meetings, annual reports, newsletters and all other written material.
If the church has a mortgage, that file must be closely managed to ensure that payments don’t get neglected. A smart filing system has built-in reminder settings for regular payments such as this.
Churches should always have enough bibles or other resources for attendees. Records should be kept if new resources need to be purchased. It’s natural for these resources to wear out as they are used frequently.
The church also has to maintain records relating to equipment usage and maintenance, warranties, repair manuals, repairs done to the building itself, whether outside or inside and such things as painting, woodwork repairs, etc.
Records of the regular repairmen used should be kept so that if work needs to be carried out, they can handle it and provide the same high standard of workmanship.
The only way all of these records can be kept is by using software management tools that can handle documents in different formats and store them within the same files. Such a system doesn’t have to be alphabetical. It can be customized to suit the needs of the church. By having a central computer-based master copy of all files and documents in a church database management system, any member of the office staff or committee can check where a file is located at any given time.
All of these records can be indexed in Paper Tiger Filing System software by entering item names and keywords for each document into the database. Then when a document needs to be pulled from file, there is no need to look in several different folders for which file name someone else might have filed it under. Simply type in a keyword relating to the document needed and Paper Tiger will conduct a google-like search in the database to produce the results of where the file is located within seconds. This filing system also encourages everyone to file because you don’t have to worry about what name you file a document under. You just enter additional keywords relating to the document so when you need the file again, you will be able to search under any keyword to find it.
This comprehensive document management system will help the minister in many ways. Because it will be more efficient, he can file documents easily and quickly. He can also locate information just as quickly, reducing the time he’s forced to spend on administrative matters.
Different religions may also have specific additional needs apart from those mentioned here and they also have to be taken into consideration. This is also why customized, modern document management software is so beneficial.
Try Paper Tiger Filing System Software and Document Management for free today, then upgrade if you need more than what the Free plan offers.
I began to use Paper Tiger Filing System Software (the Tiger) about a year after I started my own business. I have been in commercial Real Estate for 25 years and have participated in all facets of the industry from downtown tenant representation, through office leasing and industrial leasing & sales to the current concentration on land sales.
Before the Tiger, I was always looking for loose ends. I might have a main file with the building information and another file with tenant information and site plans in a separate area, as well as large bulky proposals and studies in another cabinet.
What a job to locate everything I needed for a meeting. With the Tiger, I’m just a click from knowing where I’ve hidden everything that relates to one or two key words.
I am always showing and telling people they should be a Tiger user. I have also started cataloging video tapes, DVD’s and other media at home. And…support is super if you ever need it.
Thomas H. Gledhill
Gledhill Properties, Inc.
Vernon Hills, IL 60061
www.gledhillproperties.com
In my daily life I am often consumed by enormous amounts of paper. Bills and letters and household documents at home. Invoices and employment documents and so much more at work. It sometimes feels like a blizzard of paper raining down upon my head. I grow weary of trying to manage it. There’s only so much room and so many trees I can kill without feeling the guilt. There has to be a way to improve this.
Guess what? There is. It’s called Paper Tiger. The Paper Tiger is a document management tool. I know what you are thinking…a what? Why do I need that? How does it work? Well, it’s really pretty simple. The Paper Tiger is an indexing system that helps you keep track of your physical items. It is a very simple, yet powerful concept. You establish your locations physically, but manage and keep track of them digitally. Paper Tiger allows you to file information physically one way, but easily organize files virtually in a totally different way using Categories. Categories offer a virtual view of your paper files at the click of a button. You can relate files without them being physically related!
No more duplicate files, no more fruitless searches. See your information printed in almost anyway you like. Reports are designed to make life easier for you and can be taken with you. The labeling/tab features makes setting up the software a snap! I use this great tool for all my home warranties, bills and statements. I use it at work to file documents relating to our employees and to keep track of documents. It’s a miracle how organized I am now!
Keep your paper in its original form (you do not have to scan it) and use the power of the computer to quickly and easily find/share the information when you need it. This is the best of both worlds. You get all of the best things from the computer but do not have the problems of using a scanner.
Most customers that convert their paper files to Paper Tiger would not use anything else – it is simple to learn, has great training resources (very important if you have staff turnover and need to train new employees) and it works.
Advantages:
I’ve become a faithful devotee and I really don’t know how I managed before the Paper Tiger. Oh wait…I didn’t, did I? At least, not very well. So go on and check out Paper Tiger today and find your way out of your paper storm!
Karen Mead
Verging On
Wingdale, NY
Self-storage facilities are used by individuals for personal possessions or as temporary storage for people in the process of moving. They can also be used for special collections such as model airplanes, cars or trains or other collectibles. Major collectors often run out of room in their own home and need this extra space.
Businesses can use self-storage facilities for a variety of reasons. Some businesses may wish to use the storage space for a short period of time. Others plan on using it long term.
Storage of files is a necessity in any company. The larger the company, the more files there will be that need storing. Self-storage facilities can be used or document retention storage facility companies are also available.
It’s more economical to use a storage facility for archived items that doesn’t need to be accessed often because you’re only paying for the space that you actually need. If you’re in an office, you’re paying a premium amount for floor space for the filing cabinets or shelving.
To ensure that you can find your items quickly when needed, it is imperative that you implement an efficient document management system like Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System.
Many companies have certain private files that would cause a major problem if they were ever destroyed. Copies of such files can be kept in a self-storage facility and the information relating to the files can be entered into the document management software system. A simple ‘google-like’ search in the database will allow easy and fast retrieval. Boxes would be numbered in relation to the index number assigned by the software’s database, instead of searching through each box for the needed document.
However, in order to know which files must be archived, companies first need a document retention policy with the guidelines of how long each type of document needs to be kept in-house for quick retrieval, when they should be sent to archives, and then how long to be kept in archives before destruction or to be kept indefinitely. (See our Retention Guidelines category for more information)
If you use document management software, you have more options to choose from when labeling various files. Just because you do have a great deal of flexibility in labeling your files with this type filing system, it doesn’t mean that you can’t simply use an alphabetical system. However, you can complement your filing system by cross-referencing with keywords input into the database, to enable you to find what you need when you need it without wasted time in searching for which file name you last placed it.
The important fact to remember is that using your document management software, you’ll instantly know where every single file is being kept. Naturally, the items that are being stored in a self-storage facility will most likely be archived files. They won’t often need to be accessed, but for legal reasons would need to be stored for a specific period of time.
There are also aesthetic reasons for planning your storage needs. If you have clients constantly visiting your office and all they see are filing cabinets and shelves and piles of paper files everywhere, it doesn’t really give your company a very good image. Utilizing an economical self-storage facility will help to present your company in a much better light to potential customers.
It’s only natural that there are various sizes of units because some people only need a small amount of space, while others need much larger units. Some units even have shelves fitted, which make it easy to store boxes of files.
Implement Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System in your home, office and storage today to assist you with decluttering not only your paper filing system, but any item that you can put a number onto so you can get organized and be more productive.
By Jane Plass, Info Grooming
http://www.infogrooming.com
As an information organizer, editor, and indexer, I’m always looking for new tools to help manage information. The recent release of Paper Tiger Online document management software and filing system helped me reorganize my business files.
I’ve long used a paper-based numeric filing system for some files, so I already knew the advantages: multiple entry points to access files and the ability to set up folders in advance. Paper Tiger Online offers these advantages, and others as well:
My business files contain financial information, projects for clients, information products and other writing projects, other information specific to my Info Grooming business, and general business information. Here’s how I reorganized them with Paper Tiger Online:
I have many more ideas for using Paper Tiger Online:
These ideas are just the start. I look forward to exploring further uses for Paper Tiger Online.
Jane Plass
@jplass
Regardless of whether you’re a primary, secondary or college/university educator, being a teacher or professor is one of the most demanding and time-consuming jobs in the world. It’s not a job where you simply clock in and out at a set time and switch off. They have to be so much more than employees.
They have to prepare lesson plans, tests, theoretical and practical exams, teach classes and assess assignments. They can’t do it all during school hours and so they end up taking work home with them to complete in the evenings and over the weekends.
Most teachers have to deal with more than one class and some also teach different subjects. That’s a lot of students to look after. It also means they need to have a superior filing system that can adequately cope with the many variables that can apply to their students. Teachers can be more effective with an efficient filing system, such as Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System.
Instead of using an archaic alphabetical document management system, it would benefit teachers greatly to utilize a more flexible filing software system. Such a program would enable each teacher to tailor their filing system to suit their specific workload. They would input item name and keywords relating to each file into the database of the filing software. Then when a file is needed, simply conduct a ‘google-like’ search in the database and be able to find any file within seconds.
They can use categories including: student names, subjects, exams, tests and any other types of categories that may be relevant. Such a system means they can cross-reference files when needed and keep all related documents within the same file.
This filing system will eradicate the endless piles of files that used to sit on teachers desks or get stuffed into briefcases or suitcases, just so they could keep files intact. They can just take home the important documents and files when needed. Then archived to the filing cabinet at an appropriate time. And how to archive or move files from one location to another is simple with Paper Tiger.
If teachers implement this style of filing, then it will save them hours of time in filing and retrieving of files or documents. It will greatly increase their efficiency and enable them to spend more quality time with their students, which is their primary function.
While teachers are actually running their classes, they have to mark attendance sheets, hand out reference material to students, teach and deal with endless administrative paperwork. Excursions or field trips mean forms to send home for signatures and money. All this information can be recorded, using the advanced document management software, and be immediately actioned if needed.
By implementing this type of filing system, each teacher is also making future work far easier to manage. Teachers can teach the same subjects year after year, but to different students. If they have implemented an extremely efficient method for their document management, they can start each new year with much of their planning and preparatory work already done.
This is particularly important and relevant when it comes to lesson plans and training/reference material. Because they can archive some files until the following year, they have only to go back into those archives to retrieve those files and this means they won’t have to do the same amount of hard work all over again.
If teachers can use methods that will free up their time outside of working hours, then their family life will be of a much higher quality and that will then reflect back onto their work. A healthy work-life balance is vital for the longevity of everyone.
However, teachers are entrusted with the education of the future adults of today’s society and so it’s more relevant for them to be as efficient as possible and be at their peak when dealing with today’s young minds.
Teachers or professors can definitely be more effective with Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System!
In this article, by Denise Landers, of Key Organization Systems, Inc. and Paper Tiger Expert, Denise says the ‘paperless office’ has not quite made it to reality, and even if it had…would you be more productive? That’s where Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System comes in to help you manage your paper files that continue to flow into your life. Actually, Paper Tiger can help you manage just about everything, because anything you can put a number to, you can Paper Tiger!
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We’ve been hearing for years about the paperless office, and great strides have been made in this direction. Yet somehow there are still hard copies of documents on desks and scribbled notes everywhere. Paper calendars continue to sell, and business cards accumulate in stacks and in drawers.
The push in recent years for getting on the electronic bandwagon are the eReaders, and the competition is fierce. Yet have you been to a bookstore lately? They do not seem ready to shut their doors yet.
Newspapers and magazines offer online subscriptions, at great cost savings to them, and for awhile it looked like advertisers were abandoning the print mode. However in recent months, after a two-year lull, there seems to be a reversal in the trend. Multimedia Research data show magazine readership has risen 4.3% during the past five years.
If paperless is the most productive way to go, why are these situations occurring?
There is no doubt that many of the tasks we do are better performed electronically. Yet we like paper! One reason is that we read 30-50% faster with a hard copy as compared with an electronic copy. If you’re not sure about this, consider how you often print out a long email or a document you might want to read in depth later.
Reading faster, jotting notes in the side margins, or comparing documents side-by-side can definitely increase productivity.
One of the newer magazine ads put out through a campaign by five publishers shows a photo of Michael Phelps alongside the message:
We surf the Internet.
We swim in magazines.
It is often easier and quicker to have a paperback or magazine tucked in your briefcase when there is a 10 or 15 minute delay or a need to wait in a line. At home and in hotels, it feels cozier to settle in with a hard copy of a book or magazine than with a piece of electronic equipment.
Everything is evolving, and it is good to combine the best of both worlds, but do not feel that, in order to be the most productive, you must have only the latest and greatest technology.
Denise Landers @timetrainer
Key Organization Systems, Inc.
Original article posted at Denise’s blog
Corporate Training: workshops and consulting to increase daily work flow and reduce stress
Individual Assistance: our onsite and virtual office organizing to bring about changes quickly
On Your Own: books and CDs to work at your own pace
Theater companies have been around for a long time. There are plenty of both amateur and professional theater companies and they all have need of some form of inventory record keeping. A modern filing system, like Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System that can be used as an inventory system, brings your theatre company into the 21st century.
Some companies perform plays; others perform musicals and some do a mixture of styles. In the professional performing arts industry, each company needs to ensure that everything functions as smoothly as possible.
Professional theater companies stage lots of productions and then store everything for future use once the shows have finished their season. They should utilize intelligent document management software to keep accurate records of all assets. Then future shows become so much easier to manage because of easy access to the constantly updated records.
If you have never been involved with theater before, you wouldn’t be aware of everything that happens behind the scenes. A typical audience member has no idea of the massive amount of planning and work that goes into producing a show. Even if it’s a modern-day production, all costumes and props need to be accurate and matching.
Prior to the invention of computers, everything was done by hand. Lists were kept of every single costume, prop, wig, hat, piece of scenery, paint brush, paint can and tools; and these lists were very cumbersome to manage.
There are various people that coordinate the different departments. These departments include: lighting, sound, costumes, makeup, props, scenery, front of house, rehearsal and performance venues, advertising and bookings. Because groups put on more than one production they need to store all of their equipment, and also need to keep an inventory of all their assets.
The smart people that run the theater companies nowadays utilize efficient filing systems so that they know exactly what equipment they have at any given time. By implementing smart document management software, they can establish a comprehensive method for recording all assets belonging to the company.
Each department could have a Location within Paper Tiger’s database, then each item listed along with details of the item such as color(s), texture, location of where the item is stored, what production has been used in, etc. in the keywords section.
Major Plans Are the First Step
Once a decision is made to stage a particular production, many factors need to be planned. The company’s inventory list must be checked to see what costumes, props and scenery are required for the each show. The production crew must decide if they have everything in stock or if new items need to be made or bought.
If the group is performing a period piece, then everything needs to be appropriate for that particular period. Typical examples are Shakespeare, the Elizabethan era and the medieval period. This is why a precise inventory is extremely vital.
Tailor-Made Storage
Because this type of filing system doesn’t have to be alphabetical, it can be designed to suit the theater company’s specific requirements. Most costumes are usually hung on racks and covered with plastic. Some are then placed in wardrobes. It’s a simple case of checking the records to see what costumes are in stock as opposed to going through each rack and wardrobe one by one.
Elegant hats are usually kept in proper hat boxes. Props can be kept in boxes, bags, cases, on shelves and in other suitable receptacles. If the theater company staff list each prop and its location, this also saves them a lot of time when trying to determine if they have the relevant props in stock for future shows.
Shoes are another vital necessity. There are so many different types of shoes that are worn on stage. The shoes can be listed by type, size, and color so that it’s easy to locate them when needed. They can also have specific actor’s names listed against them in the file if they have worn specific shoes before.
Professional theater groups build their own scenery and therefore have a large range of tools available. Listing a full inventory of all tools is both a time-saving feature and is also cost effective. The crew can access this data base to determine whether they have the right tools or whether more items need to be purchased at any given time.
Many audience members think that successful productions are very easy to stage. However, theater companies always have to work to an extremely tight budget. This means that extravagances are quite often illusions created with cheaper fabrications.
The smart theater companies should understand the necessity to use an efficient document management software system, because in the long run it will save them a great deal of time and money. This alone empowers them to continue their great work with reduced stress levels.
Such a system enables the company to continue entertaining audiences and still maintain a high standard of production. Every member of the production crew has access to a user-friendly filing system software that gives them the location of the item needed with just a quick keyword search. A modern filing system, or inventory system that brings your theatre company into the 21st century.
Archaeology is the study of past cultures to determine how people lived, based on the things they have left behind. It’s an extremely complicated field of study that requires meticulous records to be kept. However, archaeologists love digging through ruins – not files.
Archaeological expeditions can go on for months at a time and are often conducted in places with very few “creature comforts.” They usually set up tents to live in while they conduct their research.
That’s second nature to the dedicated people who conduct these studies because they’re determined to learn as much as possible about history from what they find. It’s vital they record their findings so a bigger picture can be created about how ancient civilizations lived.
Archaeology can be an exciting field of study, especially when discovering some new specimen or piece of information that reveals something about history that hasn’t been discovered yet. However, it can also be very tedious.
Many different pieces of equipment are used in such work. Some of the more primitive tools include: shovels, hammers, sieves, compasses, picks, tape measures, trowels, buckets, magnifying glasses and tiny instruments such as dental picks, toothbrushes and scalpels.
More modern equipment is also used. They include: large excavating machinery and dump trucks, tripods, flotation devices, computers and laptops. As scientific advances are made, more precise equipment becomes available to assist in studies that may previously have been impossible to accomplish.
Recording all findings during an expedition is the most critical part of an archaeologist’s job. Every single individual piece of information has to be meticulously recorded as soon as it’s discovered.
They use the knowledge gleaned from each specimen to help guide them in their research. If they left the “filing” or documenting of each find until later, it wouldn’t be as accurate and they probably wouldn’t be following the correct path as dictated by their findings.
However, thanks to computerized technology, it’s now possible to create a vastly improved, user-friendly filing system to record all information gathered during expeditions. Instead of only relying on paper-based record keeping, it’s now easy to create very “flexible files.” These files can contain samples, photographs, test results, written reports, forensic analysis reports and every other possible form of “file/sample” that’s created at any time. Then enter the information for each of these items into Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System. Paper Tiger has a very powerful and easy-to-use search engine built in so you use the power of the computer to simply conduct a google-like search in the database to quickly and easily find/share the information when you need it.
There may be times when archaeologists need to access information from other expeditions or from their own previous ones. If they’ve already implemented efficient document management software, they can access files from anywhere via their laptop, even while out on a dig.
This can save a lot of time and money, because they don’t necessarily have to transport physical files with them when they go on expeditions. They can simply add whatever new material they discover to existing files or create new ones when they return to their home base.
Once they’ve finished an excavation, they can’t go back. Therefore each step must be done properly as they go. Even though archaeologists prefer to study rather than record the information, they know how vital record keeping is to their overall work.
Thanks to current technology and smart document management software, many tasks can be achieved in less time and at a cheaper cost. This enables more research to be carried out without incurring extra costs.
This specialized document management system can be tailor-made for archaeologists. They don’t have to simply use alphabetical or numerical file names. They can choose categories and sub-categories that accurately reflect the file contents. It’s also very easy to cross-reference documents and files so that information stored in different files or even in different places can be easily located when necessary.
Archaeologists love digging through ruins – not files. If they didn’t have to do any record keeping, they would probably be very happy. Because it’s an inevitable part of their work, they should implement the best document management software system available. Then they can reduce costs and decrease the amount of time spent on such tedious tasks, so they have more time to discover what else there is to learn.
Contest runs through midnight March 31st
How to enter
(1) Blog Post – Send a 500-word or greater blog post to sales@thepapertiger.com telling everyone how you use Paper Tiger. See example here.
(2) Customer testimonial – Go to our Contest page and enter your testimony in the Customer Testimony section. (as many legitimate testimonies as you’d like to provide. The Monticello Corporation will be the judge as to what is legitimate, i.e., ‘this product is great’ entered 50 times will only be considered one time.) See examples of customer testimonies scrolling at the bottom of our home page.
(3) Purchase Paper Tiger Filing System software (each order counts as one entry) Either Paper Tiger Online or Paper Tiger Desktop version.
(4) Set up a free account for Paper Tiger Online (only one free account request)
(5) Link to us! (www.thepapertiger.com) Let us know the page where you put our link from our Contest page under the section entitled ‘Link to our website from your Site/Blog/Facebook/Twitter.’ (link to us from as many websites as you want)
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Prize value: Approx $600.00
Number of prizes: One Apple iPad will be given in the drawing for contest ending on March 31, 2011.
Any restrictions: Incomplete entries will be disqualified. The Monticello Corporation is not responsible for lost, misdirected or delayed entries. Entries received by mail, by telephone, fax, courier or personal delivery will not be accepted. The prize is not redeemable in cash and must be accepted as awarded. The winner of the contest is responsible for any duties, fees or other levied taxes that might need to be paid in the winner’s jurisdiction. When winner is announced, the winner will be given a certain amount of time (to be determined at time of drawing) to claim the prize before drawing for 2nd time.
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Winner of Contest ending October 31st: Brian Lepak @BrianIMDiesel
Winner of Contest ending December 31st: Crystal Lewis @CrystalLewis60
Make filing easier and faster when returning to the office with Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System!
Carry a copy of your Paper Tiger File Index in a file folder in your briefcase when you are out of the office. As you collect papers from your meetings, refer to the File Index for the first available open item, then note the appropriate file number for them on the paper to be filed. When you’re back in the office, you or your assistant can input the Item Name and Keywords information into the Paper Tiger database and drop the papers into the file(s).
Voila! You’re done! No stacking or paper piles!
In this article, Christie Love gives us 10 Tips to Organizing with ADD/ADHD, but this is sound advice whether you have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD or not. We can all function better when we follow clear steps to get organized … whether it be in your home or office!
September is National ADD/ADHD Awareness Month, I have two children at my home who have been diagnosed with this issue so it is one that is near and dear to my heart. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with many professionals who also dealt with this issue that were in need of organizational help.
“I prefer to distinguish ADD as attention abundance disorder.
Everything is just so interesting . . . remarkably at the same time.”
Frank Coppola, MA, ODC, ACG
Here are ten tips that I have found to be successful for organizing for ADD and ADHD individuals.
1. Pick up as you go along so they do not have a large pile to deal with later. This is true for a room, your desk, paperwork, craft projects, and anything else that you tackle.
2. Look for creative ways to reuse or recycle items that they want to discard. For example put outfits together to donate and let them see and know where things are going and who they are going to help.
3. When you are doing one task … look for a way to organize. For example, if you are looking for a pencil in a drawer, take a moment to Declutter the drawer or if you are looking for a paper in a file, take a moment and throw out old items that don’t need to be kept anymore.
4. Use a centralized calendar to help them become responsible for keeping up with activities and events instead of always being reminded. In the house keep important dates and appointments on it, at the office use a group calendar program to update everyone at once about deadlines and meetings.
5. Use alarms and other audible prompts as reminders for items that need to be started or completed at certain times. Many people with ADD/ADHD thrive on reminders, prompts, and time restrictions so setting an alarm to go off before a meeting is scheduled to start will give them time to transistion, prepare, and still be on time. If you are engaging in an activity that you tend to loose track of time in- like social media updates, research, etc… then set a timer for 30 minutes and limit the amount of time you spend there.
6. Use colorful notes to remind kids of routines and items so that nothing gets forgotten. Color has a powerful way of cutting through the clutter and chaos of the ADD mind. Using color coded folders for different types of projects, themes, and research can help them find what they need faster. Use colored ink in planners to easily see the type of activity they are scheduling. Write the days schedule or task list on colored paper and have them mark each item off as they complete it.
7. ADD sufferers do well with a routine, figure out one that works well and then work hard to keep it consistent. Find a daily routine for work and stick to it. You may set it up so you alternate between activities that allow you to use more energy with ones that require more focus to keep you from getting bored or lost in a task.
8. Label dividers and folders with papers so that they can find things easier without having to dig and get frustrated. Make sure that your filing system is up to date and easy to use. ADD/ADHD sufferers do not want to have to spend extra time trying to find something, because the unneeded items can easily distract them and frustrate them. <Use Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System to simply input the information relating to your paper files or other physical items into the database that has an easy-to-use search engine built in, so that lost items are virtually eliminated. Action dates can also be used to trigger action items.>
9. Keep a daily check off list of things to do so that they hold themselves accountable. A morning routine checklist, a before I leave the office checklist, and a weekly task list are all great additions to the organizational system of an ADD/ADHD person.
10. Do not work against your natural tendencies. The very traits about your ADD/ADHD that sets you apart from others are also your biggest strengths! Be aware of those strengths and talents and give them room to THRIVE! Find activities and tasks that allow you to work with your creative tendencies, give you the chance to talk to people, and the chance to think outside the box. If you find that there are certain times of the day that work better for you than others, then work to get your schedule to mesh with those peak performance times for yourself. Know your body and mind and work with it… not against it.
Do you have others to add? I invite you to leave other tips for ADD/ADHD organization in the comments section below or at Christie’s original blog.
Christie Love is the Director of Marketing for Jennifer Rothschild Ministries. She is passionate about many things including family, her faith, and helping women grow their businesses, ministries, and impact through improved marketing and leadership practices. In October of 2010, Christie will be relaunching the reformatted version of Simple Organized Sanity Online, a site that will offer downloadable planners, checklists, and lists to help you plan and stay organized. Follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/christielove936
Many years ago, filing was just a haphazard task with no discernible pattern and no regulations governing how and why it should be conducted. However, today’s business world is far different due to major advances in so many different areas of technology and media. Why do you need best practices for proper document management?
It’s vital that you have a fully functional and compliant document management system in place today for a multitude of reasons. Some best practice standards relate to the company itself. Others relate to legal obligations that must be fulfilled in relation to dealing with other companies and various regulatory bodies. Regulations can be broken down into these five key areas.
Any document management software must meet all requirements in areas such as: Retention, Access and Indexing, Compliance and Accountability, Policies and Procedures, and Disposal. People trust a company that has a sound document management system in place that is user-friendly and enables staff to file and retrieve documents quickly and efficiently.
If you’re going to implement a document management system, it must:
An efficient document management system must offer solid consistency in terms of labeling titles, filing, retrieval, archiving and destruction methods throughout the company. It’s only when this high level of consistency is met that you can firmly agree that best practices are being met.
Companies that have solid foundations in terms of records management will stand out from the crowd and will achieve greater success in all areas of endeavor. It will inevitably take any organization a great deal of time to convert an archaic filing system to a more sophisticated set up, but the results will be well worth it.
The initial step is to conduct a full inventory. At the same time, decisions must be made for each file. Should it be archived, filed for action or reference, or destroyed? The days of “too hard to file” or “miscellaneous” files will disappear.
Files may have differing legal requirements for retention and this also needs to be ascertained. If it’s all done at once, it will save hours in double and triple handling of documents and files. In the long run, it will also save thousands of dollars as well.
The new document management software will be capable of being used by everyone from the CEO right down to the relief assistant. Future action dates can be entered and will appear as reminders when needed, eliminating the misuse of in and out trays on everyone’s desks. It will also prevent the need to create paper-based documents from DVDs or CDs as they can simply be filed as they are, along with any paper files you have relating to the same subject.
In order to establish best practices, the company has to ensure that all contingencies are catered for. What information do customers generally need and how quickly? Are there differing needs that have to be met, depending on the clients? What are the retention guidelines to meet company and regulatory requirements?
Changing any filing system is always going to be a huge job. Be smart, use the most suitable document management software and plan the change as best as possible. Then you’ll achieve the strongest foundation that will allow your company to take firm forward strides with much less stress.
Why do you need best practices for proper document management? The answer is simple. Unless you want to be left behind by the forward thinking companies that adopt user-friendly document management software as part of their best practices plan, you need to do it yourself. Your office will be better organized and your staff will be able to find documents when needed, saving time and money.
Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System was designed for just this purpose … to give you a tool to manage your physical files to get organized and be able to find what you need – when you need it. You would simply input the information into the database relating to your physical files, and Paper Tiger has a very powerful and easy-to-use search engine built in, so that lost information is virtually eliminated in your office.
